By Chibuzo Ihegboro
Organisers of the 2019 Future Energy Nigeria conference and exhibition, have unveiled a a comprehensive programme that will touch various aspect of Nigeria’s electricity concerns at the forthcoming two-day event from November 12 to 13 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to Ade Yesufu, head of sales, East and West Africa at Clarion Energy, organiser of the event, said this year’s event will focus on bridging Nigeria’s energy access gap through off-grid generation projects as well as on regulator’s plan to franchise the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). Hence, the expo will feature a gathering of officials from the DisCos, power generation companies and regulatory bodies in a session to find solutions to the challenges facing the sector.
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Other stakeholders at the briefing included Godwin Aigbokha, Head, Energy and Environment, DGIC International Business Services, Pradipta Mitra, Market Research specialist, Greenville LNG, George Kai, Marketing Manager, Jubaili Bros Engineering and Mrs Anita Okuribido, President, Women in Renewable Energy Association.
Speaking at a press briefing on November 5, 2019, Yesufu said:
“Our focus is on finding solutions to these problems rather than just talking about problems; how to make the sector more profitable to attract investments and what kind of reforms are needed, are our key focus.”
To this end, the conference will be featuring a high-panel session titled “Bridging Nigeria’s Energy Access Gap” which will spotlight the prospects of the off-grid market, projects of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and its potential for increasing access rates to the communities.
Lined up for the two-day expos are at least four sessions of presentations and panel discussions from industry experts and stakeholders and top government functionaries. This includes a panel session on how DisCos can utilise the provisions of the Eligible Customer declaration, a discussion around recent regulations including Meter Asset Provider (MAP) and DisCo Franchising, a critical analysis of the recapitalization theory in the energy sector and training on solar off-grid and IPU.
The press briefing featured an interactive session with the media, whereby the stakeholders expressed their views on the current energy situation in the country. They urged the government to make the renewable energy sector attractive for investment through policies and by embracing new technologies. Noting that Nigeria lags behind Niger and Cameroon in renewable energy, they were, however, optimistic that Nigeria will catch up with other countries with the implementation of the right policies.
On the theme of the forthcoming conference, which is “Advancing Partnerships and Solutions for a Sustainable Energy Economy,” Yesufu said the event is expected to focus on the value chain and seek ways to provide solutions to the power challenges as well as empower youths for improved capacity development.
Kai, who explained that the initial cost of adopting the renewable solution and access to funding are critical issues that are limiting the growth of renewables, urged off-takers to explore financing options.
Mitra, dwelling on how to bridge the energy gap debunked the belief that electricity can’t be supplied nationwide. The challenge, he said, can be overcome when government promotes more investment to harness LNG potential in Nigeria. He disclosed that Greenville LNG is already supplying to many industrial customers with 200 tankers and 100 more tankers on the way. According to him, LNG offers huge cost savings in comparison to other fossil fuel products,
Okuribido who pointed out that the biggest consumers of electricity (e.g government agencies) hardly demonstrate a willingness to pay for what they consume, emphasized the need for smart energy delivery system in the energy value chain.
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The High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Abhay Thakur, is expected to deliver a keynote address on “India’s Interest in Working with the Nigerian Power and Energy Ecosystem” at the expo.
The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) returns to Future Energy Nigeria as the featured country partner for the third year in a row, hosting a pavilion of almost 50 suppliers of specialized technology and services for the energy sector. Expected at the two-day event are James Momoh, chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Ebipere Clark, Ag. Special Assistant (Energy) to the governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria, Chiedu Ugbo, managing director/CEO Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), among others.
